Pencil



Jan. 2.7, 1925. X I J. SWANBERG PENCIL Filed June 2, 1921 EEl ma dirffry Patented Jan. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS SWANBERG, OF CIIICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 FABABJT INSTRUMENT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PENCIL.

Application filed June 2, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. JULIUS SwANBnno, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Pencil; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to metallic pencils, and is designed as an improvement over the construction disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,381,517, granted to me June 14:, 1921. t

More specifically, my present invention .15 designed to provide a construction wherein an unobstructed tubular casing may be employed, the parts being effectually retained therein against rotation by reason of the specific construction of the springs hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is an elevation of a pencil constructed according to the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section on the line 22 of Figure 1 with parts in elevation.

Figure 3 is a slightly enlarged section on the line 83 of Figure 2.

Figure 1 is an enlarged detail section of the lead feeding mechanism.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical section through a slightly modified form of pencil constructed according to the principles of this invention.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail of a portion of the lead feeding mechanism of the pencil shown in Figure 6.

As shown on the drawings:

The pencil is mounted in a metallic tubular casing 1 which is reduced at one end to form a conical point 2 and which is preferably provided with a spring pocket clip secured thereto in the usual manner. The upper edge at of the casing 1 is spun inwardly to springingly engage a peripheral groove in a cap 5 and longitudinal slotsG are provided in the casing 1 ad a-cent said inwardly spun portion so that the same may be spread apart to remove or insert the cap 5. In order that said cap 5 may be easily Serial No. 474,553.

grasped by the fingers of the user of the pencil a knurled portion 7 is preferably provided thereon. The inner end of said cap 5 is provided with an axial recess 8 in which the upper end of a lead containing tube 9 is springingly engaged, said tube 9 being of considerably less diameter than the casing 1 and being preferably provided with longitudinal slots 10 in its uper end to allow the same to be inserted in the recess 8-. Said tube 9 is positioned axially in the casing 1 and the lower end thereof is reduced and has secured therein the upper end of a lead feeding screw 11 which is preferably provided with left hand threads and which has engaged thereon a cylindrical nut 12. Substantially U-shaped outwardly bent leaf springs 13 and 1 1 have their upper ends secured to said nut 12 by means of a cap 15 engaged over said springs on the outside of the ends thereof. Said springs 13 and 1t are preferably positioned in substantially perpendicular planes, the connecting portion of the spring 14 extending under the connecting portion of the spring 13, and

both of these connecting portions being formed to present a concave portion 15 against which the inner end of a lead 16 is engaged. Said lead 16 extends from the concave portion 15 outwardly through the point 2 of the casing 1, and the outer end of said point 2 is preferably slotted at 17 to afford a springing engagement with the lead.

In the modified form of construction shown in Figures 6 and 7 an axially mount ed plunger rod 18 is engaged through the connecting portions of the springs 13 and 11 and riveted thereto, and said plunger rod extends downwardly through a lead guiding tube 19 mounted axially in the conical portion 2 of the casing 1. Said lead guiding tube 19 extends outwardly through the end of said conical portion 2 and has a conical receptacle 20 formed on its other end and secured inside the casing 1, by frictional engagement therewith or in any other suitable manner. Said conical receptacle 2O acts to guide leads dropped in the upper end of the pencil into the lead guiding tube 19 whence they are forced outwardly by the plunger 18. The conical portion 20 and the lead guiding tube 19 are prefe'ably made integral and the lower end of said lead guiding tube is preferably provided with an external conical enlargement 21 which is adapted to be forced outwardly, through the opening in the end of the conical portion 2 to hold the lead guiding tube firmly in posi tion in the, casing. V

The operation is as follows:

Leads are inserted in the conical portion 2 of the casing 1 and are adapted to be forced outwardly by the springs 13 and 14: which are movable longitudinally in the casing when the cap 5 is rotated. This longitudinal movement is" brought about by the fact that springs 13 and 1 1 frictionally engage the walls of the casingand consequent y preventrotation of the-cylindrical nut 12, and since the leadfeeding screw 11 is engaged throughsaid nut, rotation of the cap 5 and otsaid screwwill eftecta move ment of the nut alongthe screw-and a con sequent movement of the springs 13 and 14:. The cap 5 may be easily remolved'by springing apart the inwardly spun portion 4: on

the casing 1 and the entire lead feeding, mechanism may beremoved with sald cap.

After the cap 5 andthe lead feeding mechanism are removed from the tube 1 access to the lead containing tube 9 may be had by removing the cap 5 therefrom.

In the construction shown in Figures 6 and 7, the pencil may be conveniently sup plied with extra leads from the upper end;

thereof and in effecting this renewal of the 'lead the cap 5 and the lead feeding mechanisms are removed as previously described and the lead is simply dropped in the upper end of the pencil, being guided into the lead guiding tube '19 by the'conical portion 20 and subsequently engaged by the plunger 18 and forced outwardly through said tube, hen the lead protruding from the pencil becomes worn the same may be replenished by simply rotating the cap 5 to the right which will act to force the sprin'gs 13 and v 141 downwardly through the casing and con: sequently .force the lead outwardly. The

lead feeding screw 11 is prelerablyniade with left-hand threads so that rotation of thecap ,5 to the right will force the'lead outwardly, but it will of course, bennderstood that the same could alsobe constructed with right-hand threads whereby rotation of the cap 5 to the left would act to force the lead outwardly.

In View of the .t'act that the pencil of this invention is constructed of a small number of simple stamped metal parts, it is apparent that the same may be inexpensively constructed, and since the lead feeding mechanism has only a sliding frictional engagement with the casing 1 it is apparent that said mechanism will successfully operate even 1n cases. where the casing 1 is badly 7 damaged.

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of thisinvention, and I therefore do not purpose limitin the patent granted otherwise than neccssltated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a pencil of the class described, a tubular casing, a plurality of U-shapcd springs disposed in different planes within -SL1Cl casing andin frlctlonal engagement engage theunder end of a lead, a screw, and

means at the ends of said springs coacting with said screw to shift said springs longitudinally in said casing.

In testimony whereof I have hereuntosuhscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JULIUS SVVANBER-G lVitnesses:

CARLTON HILL, JAMES M. OBRIEN. 

